Staycation, staying at or near home for your vacation, can be a great option for you and your family to rest and refuel your mind, body, soul and pocketbook.
“Sometimes it's nice to stop and just appreciate all you have around you," says Jessica Cordova Wilson.
The Wilson family lives in Southern California but, “we're always so busy with life that we don't get to enjoy all the perks of living here," she comments.
Instead of their customary out-of-state vacations, the family spent one summer break doing “all the touristy stuff" in SoCal, from the San Diego Zoo, to Disneyland, to the beach.
“All while getting to sleep in our beds each night," she notes. “To this day, the kids say it was our best vacation."
You don't have to live within driving distance of Disneyland to reap the benefits of a summer staycation, though.
10 Reasons You Need a Staycation:
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You can ward off stress. If you take a break while staying put, you can skip the long airport security lines and the gas prices, skip the packing stress and the fights over the last snack on a long drive.
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Planning is easier. You don't have to choose a flight or a hotel, or race to the airport.
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You can maximize your time off. Traveling far means more time getting there and less time actually relaxing.
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You'll save money. By staying home, instead of spending on transportation and hotels, you can splurge on things you might have always wanted to do in your town, such as a fancy dinner, or theater tickets for the entire family.
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You can learn more about your community. Visit your local tourist office — online or in person — or buy a guidebook to your city and play tourist in your own hometown.
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You're already home if there's an emergency. Your family doctor is right there, and you can fill a prescription at your local pharmacy.
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You don't have to struggle with the unfamiliar. You won't have to cope with the unfamiliarity of new surroundings, or another language, or different time zone.
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There's more free time. You can catch up on your stay-at-home hobbies or interests that you don't have time for during the hectic work and school year.
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Go at your own pace. Group travel often means a strict itinerary as you're rushed from one spot to another. Vacation at home and decide how much — or how little— you want to do every day.
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Enjoy your own home. Sometimes your Sleep Number® smart bed, your favorite chair, and the chance for a bedtime snack are just what you need. Don't forget quality sleep will help fuel your days. The eight hours you sleep are for the 16 hours you're awake.
Travel can be wonderful — new sights, new experiences, new people. But if you've had a hectic year with personal, family, and professional obligations, sometimes just staying put with no schedules to meet or chores to do is just the ticket.
A staycation still takes some planning, to make sure you aren't fielding a million protests of, "I'm bored," and to ensure that mom isn't doing all the cooking and cleaning while the rest of the family enjoys their holiday.
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